(Editor’s note: Colin Flaherty has done more reporting than any other journalist on what appears to be a nationwide trend of skyrocketing black-on-white crime, violence and abuse. WND features these reports to counterbalance the virtual blackout by the rest of the media due to their concerns that reporting such incidents would be inflammatory or even racist. WND considers it racist not to report racial abuse solely because of the skin color of the perpetrators or victims.)EDITOR’S NOTE: The links in the following report may contain offensive language.

The mayor, police chief and media have figured out what is behind a wave of black-mob violence in Columbia, S.C: White kids drink too much.

And race has nothing to do with the assailants.

But a growing number of residents are wondering why public officials are focusing their attention on arresting potential victims. They say city officials are ignoring the black mobs that are “loitering,” threatening, beating, shooting and robbing people by the dozens in this popular entertainment district called Five Points near the University of South Carolina.

“It was just guys getting into arguments and fighting that just goes the wrong way,” said chief Randy Scott. He and the mayor promised to continue cracking down on underage drinking.

Former bar owner Scott Linaberry is among those who think the official attention is misplaced:

“Why does the city permit the harassment of white college kids in the bar, under the guise of underage drinking (they have to interrupt about 50 people to find one underage, but they’d have everyone believe they bat 1,000) but not black thugs on the street via a posted curfew ordinance who have no intention of ever being a customer of Five points. Civil Rights for ALL??”

Local media are notorious for not identifying the race of the assailants. And when readers do just that on the comments page, their remarks are often removed. But not all the time:

“So far all the beating[s] involve groups of blacks beating up white kids,” said one poster to a local news site. “But the police chief states there’s no racial issues going on-no gangs. However, if a group of white kids beat up a black I bet the NAACP will be all over it.”

“Chief Scott says this was just another fight and will prosecute as such, but we all saw the video and it is evidenced by other incidents that there are groups of thugs preying on white college students,” said another student to the same site.

Students from the University of South Carolina have started a petition drive and Facebook page to combat the violence in Five Points. They say the violence is worse than ever and urge the police to stop blaming the victims and start paying attention to the predators. More than 7,000 people have joined or left comments.

“As a senior at the University of South Carolina, I have seen the increase in the amount of violent crime that has gone on in Five Points,” said Laura Dixon. “The Columbia Police Department’s focus on underage drinking is absurd when there are larger issues at hand, especially the shootings, gang initiations, and beatings that have occurred in Five Points. I am of age and it is legal for me to be in Five Points, but I do not feel safe there due to the number of violent crimes that have occurred there. Please STOP focusing on underage drinking and START focusing on those violent crimes that are actually harming people.”

The mayor says crime is down in the Five Points area. And it is safe now, but could be safer.

Other students say the violent atmosphere is new, but increasingly prevalent:

“My own experience is that groups of black men will loiter around Five Point bars and try to provoke white college students by whistling at their girlfriends, sucker punching them, etc,” said one student to the local paper. “It’s some sick concept of ‘fun’ that I don’t understand.”

Despite the quasi-official media blackout on the racial violence, at least one columnist spoke out last summer:

“Even then, we still have an 800-pound gorilla in the room that must be dealt with: Was this a racially motivated beating?” wrote Warren Bolton. “That’s not a discussion many people feel comfortable having. But let’s be real. When eight black boys jump on a lone white boy – or if it were the other way around – the question of race will be raised in private circles, if not publicly. Our nation’s and state’s unfortunate racial history and the seen and unseen vestiges that remain today have laid that upon us. If we don’t confront it, it’ll destroy us.”